Mobile



June 16, 1959 RA. SLY I Q "2,890,536

MOBILE Filed Feb. 5, .1957

/ E53 E Flee O 30 2- FRANCIS A. SLY

[8 FIG? vz /mf ATTORNEY advertising purposes. by the present invention are well adapted for such pur- United States Patent Thisinvention relates to mobiles depicting animate objects, and is particularly concerned with mobiles depicting such objects in caricature.

There has beensubstantial activity in recent years in connection with mobiles of abstract types, primarily for Whereas the mobiles contemplated poses, t-hey are equally well suited for use as ornaments or toys.

The mobiles to which the present invention is directed comprise a narrow frame having upper and lower edge portions interconnected by side edge portions defining an .outline representation of a body member of an animate object, a smaller frame depicting a sense organ of the animate object and having an area less than that of the first frame, and a flexible torsion element depending from the upper edge portion of the first frame and rotatably suspending the smaller frame intermediate the upper, lower and side edge portions of the first frame. The frames are suitably composed of strip or rod-like mate rial, such as wire, and the flexible torsion elements may assume the form of filaments composed of metal, natural or artificial textile materials, or other materials having the required characteristics.

There are preferably a plurality of smaller frames supported from the first frame depicting the eyes, nose and/ or mouth of the animate object, or any combination of sense organs desired. These smaller frames may be flexibly and rotatably supported from a beam having an intermediate balance point connected to the flexible torsion element which is connected to the principal frame. In any case, the smaller frames may be suspended from the beam or other intermediate element by flexible torsion filaments suitably attached thereto.

A plurality of smaller frames may be suspended by a single flexible torsion element suitably attached thereto.

A more complete understanding of the invention and its objects will follow from a description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation depicting one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device depicted in Fig. 1 with certain parts thereof reoriented;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing a detail;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of the invention with its parts disposed in non-planar relationship; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a third embodiment of the invention with its parts disposed in a non-planar relationship.

A narrow frame 10 composed of strip material such as wire, is provided with a lower edge portion 12 and an upper edge portion 14 interconnected by side portions 16 defining in outline, the caricature of a human head. This frame will be supported in a vertical position as shown, for which purpose its lower edge portion 12 can be attached to a base 18 having three legs 20 defining a tripod, joined at their lower ends to a rim or plate 22 and at their upper ends to a rim or plate 24 on which the frame 10 is seated, separably or permanently as desired.

A flexible torsion element 26 which may assume the form of a filament composed of metal, natural or artificial fiber, or otherwise, is suitably attached to the upper edge portion 14 of the frame 10 from which it depends for connection to a beam 28 which may. also be formed from bent wire, the torsion element continuing downwardly for attachment at its lower end to a disc 30 representing a nose. An element 32 depicting a mouth, which may also be formed from wire is suspended from the disc 30 by means of small rods or filaments 34 suitably attached to the respective elements.

At the opposite ends of the beam 28, flexible torsion elements such as filaments 36 are attached, and to the lower portions of these filaments are attached concentric annuli 38 and 40 and discs 42. These concentric elements represent the eyes of the animate object and the various components can assume an infinite number of arrangements to produce the effect of movement of the eyes. Similarly, the reorientation of the mouth and nose depicting elements will likewise produce the effect of changes in the features of the object. The beam 28 is attached to the torsion element 26 at a suitable intermediate balance point although there is no need to maintain symmetry with respect to the torsion element despite the fact that such a condition has been depicted in Fig. l. The torsion elements may be secured to the frame members in any desired manner, an adhesive bond adapted to the materials involved being quite satisfactory. One manner in which such a bond can be produced has been depicted in Fig. 6 showing a fragmentary portion of the annulus 38 containing a notch 41 in which the filament 36 is received and maintained by a body of adhesive 44. It will be clear that as the smaller frames rotate under the influence of air currents, torsion will be produced in their filaments tending to restore the frames to their positions at which there will be no torsional moment. Such a condition might exist when all of the frames are coplanar as depicted in Fig. 1.

A departure from the coplanar relationship of the frames has been illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Another embodiment of the invention has been depicted in Fig. 7 wherein the animate object assumes the form of a cat in caricature. In this case, there is a rectangular frame 10 depicting the head, provided with triangles 46 representing ears. The torsion element 26 attached to an upper edge portion of the frame 10 is also attached to an intermediate balancing point of a beam 28, to opposite portions of which are attached flexible torsion elements 36 suspending coaxial frames 38, 40 and 42. Here again, the flexible torsion element 26 also supports a disc 30 representing a nose and a strip 32 representing a month. Also in this case, a supporting base 18 has been shown.

Somewhat similarly, the fish caricature of Fig. 8 comprises a frame 10 suitably supported on a base 18. A flexible torsion element 26 attached to the upper edge of the frame 10 supports a smaller frame 48 carrying a disc 50 depicting an eye of the fish whose position will vary as the smaller frame 48 rotates about the axis defined by the thread or filament 26. The filament also supports a frame 52 and a small pendant 54 which may high degree of enjoyment by children and adults alike and provides a very distinctive type of ornament which may be supported anywhere by the use of suitable brackets, bases or suspending elements.

Whereas the invention has been described with reference to only three structures, they should not be construed as limiting beyond the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mobile comprising a narrow frame having upper and lower edge portions interconnected by side edge portions defining an outline representation of a body member of an animate object, a smaller frame depicting a sense organ of said animate object and having an area less than that of the first said frame, a flexible torsion element depending from and having a portion fixed against all relative movement to the upper edge portion of the first said frame and rotatably suspending and having a portion fixed against all relative movement to said smaller frame intermediate the upper, lower and side edge portions of the first said frame, and an element having an area less than that of said smaller frame rotatably suspended within said smaller frame on an axis coincident with said torsion element.

2. A mobile as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first said frame is composed of wire.

3. A mobile as set forth in claim 1 wherein a supporting base is connected to the lower edge portion of the first said frame.

4. A mobile as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of smaller frames each having an area less than the first said frame and depicting a plurality of sense organs of said animate object are rotatably suspended by said flexible torsion element.

smaller frames are flexibly and rotatably suspended from a beam having an intermediate balance point connected to said flexible torsion element.

8. A mobile as set forth in claim 7 wherein said smaller frames are suspended from said beam by flexible torsion filaments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 9,244 Masi Apr. 25, 1876 D. 58,410 Szimanski July 12, 1921 D. 138,230 Nvdelman July 11, 1944 D. 144,582 Rassnick Apr. 30, 1946 D. 147,776 Backelman Nov. 4, 1947 D. 157,743 Drucker Mar. 21, 1950 D. 169,125 Cheresh Mar. 31, 1953 D. 170,081 Gelardin July 28, 1953 D. 170,082 Gelardin July 28, 1953 D. 170,083 Gelardin July 28, 1953 D. 171,593 Hagey Mar. 2, 1954 D. 171,594 Hagey Mar. 2, 1954 807,343 Willwerscheid Dec. 12, 1905 2,735,203 Berger et al. Feb. 21, 1956 

